Donating to Charity!

Remember that 30 before 30 post and how I mentioned that I wanted to find a charity that I believed in and mirrored something that I loved and then donate to them each month? Well. I made a decision this week.

I broke up with Birchbox after 5 disappointing months of horrible boxes and beauty products that  didn’t meet my needs/wants/likes and decided to take that $10 per month and donate it to Lucky Dog Rescue. But, for me $10 didn’t feel like enough – that would be $120 a year – so I decided to donate $25 per month. Still. Not a lot. But it is something.

I knew I wanted to donate money to an animal rescue and I thought of different ones here in Atlanta but I kept coming back to Lucky Dog. Maybe I was partially swayed because Ashley is an Alabama alumni {ROLL TIDE}. But ultimately, there was something about the honesty in Ashley’s blog posts about her dogs. And how she tends to take the dogs that are in the worse shape and have the most horrific stories. And how she sacrifices so much for those dogs everyday. And how she gives dogs that would die in shelters because of their breeds second chances at life. And how she has suffered so much heartbreak while caring for dogs that deserve good, loving homes. There is just something that is so amazing about Ashley that shines through her writing.

I think Ashley says it best on her blog when she says:

“Lucky Dog Rescue focuses on the forgotten souls--dogs from death row, the abused, the sick, the special needs, and those with no other hope. .... Most of my rescues come from the worst situations imaginable, and they often have many medical issues that require expensive treatments. Any donation will help give them the futures they deserve.”

I know $25 is not a lot of money. It is only $300 per year. But I know to her, $300 equals food and heartworm and flea preventative and rabies shots and vet care. But, at the end of the day, I have fallen in love with so many of her little babies and their stories that I just had to help her out.

If you want to donate to Lucky Dog and Ashley’s AMAZING work with dogs you can do so HERE!!

*shameless plug*

I started running because of luekemia.  My good friend from high school had been diagnosed  5 months earlier with CML and I wanted to do something in her honor.  So I linked up with Atlanta's Team in Training chapter and ran my 1st half marathon.  Leukemia linked me up with one someone who I not only aspire to be like, but respect and love to be around.  In the team meeting the night before the race Mitzi Jiles sat next to me and asked who I was at what I did.  With having a mission to find a cure and both working in the staffing industry as a link we hung out the rest of the night and into race morning.

Fast forward 2 years... Mitzi was nominated for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Woman of the year here in Georgia and she accepted the challenge!  Mitzi herself is a cancer survivor, when she was 25 years old she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Just after being diagnosed, someone from LLS was at Mitzi's beside comforting her and talking to her about this disease and what they could do to help her fight and beat it. Originally, Mitzi was 2 weeks away from dying, but this May Mitzi will celebrate 10 years in remission!!!! No doubt, she is already a winner. The disease that almost took her life has changed her life and now she is on a mission to find a cure. While in remission Mitzi has raised over $20,000 for LLS through their Team In Training program, and now with our help she is going to double, even triple that amount as she vies for the Woman of the Year crown.

Mitzi was charged with the task to form a support team to help her reach her goal and when she came to me and asked if I would help it was a no brainer... We have 10 weeks to raise as much money as possible as a team.  Each dollar donated = 1 vote and whoever has the most "votes" (aka dollars raised) is named the LLS Woman & Man of the Year. 

If you live in Atlanta.... you are invited to buy seats to the amazing black tie event at the Loews Hotel in Midtown!  Tickets are $125 per ticket and include food, drinks, dancing, a silent and live auction, and the crowning of the Woman of the Year!  It really does sound like a fun event!!

We're raising money not only to honor Mitzi, but for all the others who have fought or are fighting leukemia or lymphoma.  Every four minutes someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer and every ten minutes someone looses their life.  Every dollar counts, whether is it $1 or $5 .... or more if you can afford it ... each dollar helps and goes towards the mission the help find a cure for blood cancers.  We are fundraising starting today, March 23rd and have till June 4th to raise as much money as possible.  So if you have some spare change and want to help with such an awesome event we are so grateful and thankful.

If you'd like to donate.  Please go HERE and remember every dollar counts!!

may recap.

sorry. just a tad late. vacationing took my mind away from knowing that may was ending. but better late than never right.

May was a bad month for running, better than April, but still pathetic. 25.53 miles total  but I added things to my training & experienced new and wonderful things so I am happy with May and that is all that matters!  I celebrated 1 year of running … don’t quite call myself a runner yet … but i have been at this for a FULL YEAR!

First – I added Saturday swims. I am unsure how beneficial they are going to be and I think they may be better suited for a workout after a long run, but to make that switch it is going to have to come to me persuading Kyle to let me have Saturday mornings for long runs rather than Sunday.  Back to swimming… I am getting better and I have not drowned yet and that is all that matters.  Second – I had my first ever trail run while at home in Northern VA.  And wowzas did it kill my legs, definitely used muscles that are not normally used when on the pavement.  But, I liked it, it was a total full leg workout, and now I wish I lived in VA and could run at Burke Lake all the time.  Anyone know of any trails in Atlanta? Third -  I put spin classes back in my routine.  Like swimming, I am unsure how this will work for me and if it will at all… but anything to strengthen my lower body and anything to make me faster… I will try it.  Fourth – I ran a Saturday at Stone Mountain.  Awesome but killer. Once my miles increase I will run there more. Hold me too it!  Fifth -  I discovered Lululemon super short running shorts and fell in love. I was also introduced to a new pair of Wigwam running socks and have switched my loyalty to another line (but still Wigwams).

I have been tossing around the idea of getting involved with an organization here in Atlanta called Girls on the Run … they have them all over the place.  I need to decide if we’re staying down here or moving back to NoVA before I make a decision… they have a chapter up there too… I want to dive in heads first and be able to stick around. So that is up in the air….

I am super pumped because Lori gave me a training schedule thanks to Team in Training that will help build my endurance which is going to help with Marine Corps.  Back to low 3 or 4 mile runs (SCHEDULED!!!) and not stressing about 7 or 8 mile Saturdays for a month or so.  Thanks Lori, you rock! :o)

I have another half marathon on my schedule, which I signed up for in May but will run it in September.

running music discovered in may and stuck on repeat:

1. “Can’t Be Tamed” –Miley Cyrus
2. “The Instrumental” –Lupe Fiasco
3. “Airplanes” –B.o.B ft. Haley Williams
4. “No Other One” –Tiao Cruz
5. “I Like It” –Enrique Ingelsias

also. this past month i have been approached by a lot of people in regards to raising money for races (both asking for donations and wanting tips) and as someone who was begging for money is a tough economy just 1 year ago the biggest tip I have been sharing is to THANK THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONATED.  It seems so simple but it is often forgotten.  :: cue mini-rant ::  I have donated to quite a few races in 2010 for many non-profits and not a single person has sent me a thank you note and only 1 has given me a verbal “thanks”.  If you’re gonna ask people to dig in their pockets when everyone is watching their budgets, the least you can do is send someone a thank you note, let them know you appreciate them working your cause of choice into their budget.  As a 26 year old, my budget is tight and sometimes my donation to you and your cause means I cannot grab dinner with a college friend to catch up.  Not trying to say that I do not think my donation went to good because it did and i know it did … but take some time to thank the person who donates.  We dug in our pockets, you can dig and yours for a stamp and a thank you note.  Without that show of appreciation what is going to make someone want to donate the next time you ask?  or maybe i am the only 20-something left that writes thank you notes still…  rant over.

Other than having a lack of shoe hitting the pavement, May was not so bad and I for once didn’t fret over my lack of running.  I understood that life just got busy and embraced it for once.  Soon enough my life and work load will level out… I can just feel it!!

how did your May turn out?!

10k - cannot check off list.

You read the title right. The 10k did not happen yesterday. I am so bummed about it you have no idea. Race start was 7:45 am. I thought leaving my house by 7:00 would give me plenty of time to get there, park, get on a shuttle, stretch, and be ready to run up some hills. But, I really never venture to that part of Atlanta and I got insanely lost. Roads were closed. The directions included in the packet sent to me were less than stellar. And at 8:00 when I was still on 285 and now crossing over Cobb Parkway I could see the hundreds of runners descending the first hill and I felt defeated. I know I know... you can normally start races late and with my Garmin I could have accurately known how long it took me... but with the sense of failure and still being lost and knowing there were killer hills I figured it just was not meant to be and headed back home. I am a true believer that all things happen for a reason and there must have been some reason why I was not to run that race. There is always next year right?

....however. I am running the Big Peach Sizzler 10k at the end of this month. And there is no way I can get lost since it literally starts in my backyard. So I have longer to train for my first 10k and it won't be such a butt kicker. Or so I hope. I kinda want to finish that run with a grub meal from Flying Biscut. Barbie, let's just try to get to the starting line before the race starts this time.

Last blog I was talking about how I am stuck at a 12-13 minute mile. And my twitter, dailymile, and blogger pal Tammy mentioned speed work and how long my long runs are currently. I felt like discussing my lack of long runs because honestly, the farthest I have run is a little under 6 miles. I think I could go farther but it just gets so dark earlier and I don't want to be out running alone in the dark in Atlanta so I tend to pack up shop and head back to my car. Yeah... and I have to run 13.1 in a little over a month. I have no excuses I really have not taken this half marathon nearly as serious as I should have.

She also mentioned that I need to be running 3-4 times per week to really work on it. I run at the least 3 times per week - life just seems to get in the way sometimes. ....And then there is speed work. Which I do not think I quite understand what it is or how to do it so I have been googling it (I found this article which gives some insight). I am wondering if this is something that I need to do on the local high school track or do I need to incorporate hills since I am running in San Francisco.

I guess I really am a newbie at this running, racing thing.

Lastly: in honor of blood cancer awareness month think about donating to the cause that is fighting the fight against blood cancers and help the researchers find a cure and give those battling a blood cancer hope for a brighter future! http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/nikesf09/bvines

Run Barbie Run!

Mood: Drained
Running song of the day: "Fire Burning" ~Sean Kingston

Welcome to the world of Barbie and her wonderful tales of running... and walking. I got this idea from this girl Tammy I am following on Twitter to really track my running and training for San Fran. All in all as most people know it is going really well. I recently decided to push the envelope and do the full marathon rather than the half. 26.2 miles of fun hills, but I heard the course is BEAUTIFUL.

It has been an off week for running for me. I have done about 10 miles total this week (according to my dailymile.com account) and I should be at 16 miles this week. Tomorrow is our GTS (Group Training Session) long run... which is 4 miles... so I have an extra 2 to make up somewhere. I am playing a new game with myself and I have decided right now to run 1 hour per day (with walk breaks of course) and see how far I can go. And everyday I hope to go farther and farther.

Surprisingly, I really am enjoying getting back into shape and running. If you have not done so already, please think about donating to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Of course, I am running mainly in honor of Beka... but this is so much larger than just her. You can go here to make your contribution to the society... http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/nikesf09/bvines